SENIOR MEP CALLS FOR LEVEL PLAYING FIELD IN EU/USA TRADE WAR

2nd December 2016

Ashley Fox MEP, Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament and MEP for the South West of England, is supporting Airbus’s calls for action to be taken against Boing after the World Trade Organisation (WTO) criticised ‘illegal’ subsidies given to the American aircraft giant.

The subsidy package condemned by the WTO is large enough to fund the entire development of Boings new 777X. This is only the second time in the WTO’s 20+ year history that a country has been found to have provided prohibited subsidies in this way.

The World Trade Organisation has said the United States has ignored international trade rules by permitting illegal subsidies to Boeing. Airbus have estimated that these subsidies has cost it #50bn in business.

Airbus UK has its headquarters at Filton and employs about 4000 people in the Bristol area.

Mr Fox said, “We are not asking for Airbus to be treated as a special case, we just want a level playing field in this the most global of all industries It is time for the U.S. to insist that Boeing cease its anti-competitive behaviour.”

"This an important victory for Britain and its aircraft industry. The panel has found that the additional massive subsidies of 5.7 billion dollars provided by Washington State to Boeing are strictly illegal. The US must respect the rules, uphold fair competition, and withdraw these subsidies without any delay"